Wednesday, 16 May 2012

Saving Penny

Veronica put on her red tabard
and stood by her bed ready to be escorted down to the visitors’ room.

As she followed the guard down
the corridors, passed other cells, waiting as he unlocked and then relocked
gates; her thoughts went back to the day that had changed her life. All she
could remember was seeing him lying there on the floor. The bread knife that
hadbeen a wedding present
sticking out of his back. Blood foaming around his mouth as his lungs filled
with blood, taking over from the space where air should be. It seemed to take
him an age to die but the coroner had said it was less than two minutes. How
could that be? She had just stood there and watched him die, in slow motion.

She had reached the visitors
room and stood by the final door with the ten other women who had been lucky
enough to get visits today. They were reminded of the rules; no touching, no
standing, no shouting, and definitely no passing of objects of any kind. Their
identity bracelets were scanned and they were allowed into the room to take
their places on the north side of the tables. Not long now and Veronica would
get to see her and explain everything. Once all the prisoners were settled the
door on the south side opened and in came the visitors.

First was Mrs Miles' husband,
he never missed a visit, which was very noble as she was in here for killing
his mother. Next came the new girls visitor, she'd only been here a few weeks
and he looked like a pimp. It was rumoured to be a drug offence but she hadn't
spoken to any of the regulars yet. Then next two were a couple of men in
pinstriped suits, obviously lawyers, once must be for Jenny, she was on remand
for a drunk driving offence where a young girl had been killed. The other one
seemed to be heading towards Veronica.

'Good Morning,' the suit
greeted her. He was about 25 years old and had a look of optimism that only the
young and naive can ever have. 'It is Veronica isn't it?'

'Yes but who are you? I'm
supposed to be getting a visit from Penny.'

'Unfortunately Penny has
decided not to come. She wants you to reconsider your plea.'

'How can I? It was all my
fault. I deserve to be here.'

'She just told me to tell you
that she couldn't come here. You need to reconsider. Self defence is still an
option.'

'No.' shouted Veronica.

The guards turned and stared
at her. Lowering her voice she looked this young lawyer in the face and said,
'The only justice is for me to be in here and Penny knows that. Tell her I love
her and I'm sorry but she needs to live her life the best she can. She's better
off without me there to ruin it for her.'

Later lying on her bunk as the
lights went out Veronica looked back over all the events that had lead to this
terrible situation.

The holiday had been to try
and cheer up Penny after a very tough few months. Penny's dad had turned up one
day after work and kindly informed Veronica that he was moving in with his
secretary.

Stephen Moffat had been one of
the children's entertainers at the holiday camp and always seemed to have time
for Veronica and Penny. Veronica had been convinced that he was just doing his
job until the last day of the holiday.

'Fancy going out for a drink
tonight?' Stephen had asked as Veronica collected Penny from the afternoon
club.

'I'd love too but what about
Penny?'

'Come on she's 11 now isn't
she? I'm sure she'll be fine.'

Stephen had flashed that
winning smile and Veronica had melted.

That evening he had told her
all about his dreams of becoming a TV presenter and how much he loved working
with children. Veronica had lapped it all up. There she was 10 years his senior
and she was behaving like a teenager, hanging off his every word, agreeing with
his every comment. At the end of the evening only her guilt from having left
Penny alone for so long made her turn down the offer of a night cap and the
promise of more.

The next day as they boarded
the bus home Stephen came running over and handed her his telephone number and
asked her to call to let him know they had got home safe.

Veronica called and that was
the start of six months of long distance. Stephen got a job on a cruise liner
and they emailed or skyped every day. On the last day of the cruise he
mentioned the fact that he would have to move back in with his mum until he
found somewhere of his own. Veronica had offered him her spare room and the die
had been cast.

Stephen slept in the spare
room for over a year and was always the perfect gentleman. He struggled to find
work so would take Penny to school and collect her every day. Then one day as
Veronica got home from work she heard the popping of a champagne cork and
Stephen greeted her with the news that he had got a job at the local primary
school as a teaching assistant and that he would finally be able to contribute.
That evening with the excitement of the news and the flow of the champagne
Stephen spent the night with Veronica, and the next day moved his things into
the master bedroom.

Everything was perfect. Penny had always been a happy but
quiet child but not long after Stephen moved into the master bedroom she seemed
to start to shrink into her shell. Veronica thought this was teenage angst and
jealousy and ignored it.

Three years after they met and
at a small house party for friends and family Stephen got down on one knee and
proposed. Veronica could not have been happier until she looked up at her
daughter’s face and saw the tears
flowing. As Penny saw her mother looking at her she turned and fled, locking
herself into her room.

'Open this door,' Veronica
shouted as she banged on Penny's door.

'I can't,' sobbed Penny,'
you'll be cross and it will all be my fault.'

'Don't be silly. It's just I
don't understand why you are so sad. Let me in so we can talk about it.'

Penny opened the door and
dissolved into her mother’s arms.

'What’s this all about?'

It then all came out how
Stephen had been abusing Penny for the last year. He had told her that her dad
had left because she hadn't treated him right. She had to be nice to Stephen so
that he would stay. He had said if she told anyone he would say she was a liar
and she would be put into care. The abuse had started gradually with him
getting her to touch him and then Stephen had started touching her and finally
last week he had raped her whilst Veronica had been at an overnight conference.

Veronica couldn't believe what she was hearing but she knew
her daughter would never lie about something like this.

'Promise me you are telling
the truth and I will go and make him leave right now.' Veronica had told her
daughter.

'I promise.'

That was all Veronica needed
to hear.

As Veronica made her way back
down stairs the house was quiet.

'I told everyone to leave as I
thought you would be a while placating your little princess.' Stephen slurred.
He had had far too much to drink and there was real malice in his voice.

'She's told me everything and
I think you should leave.' Veronica looked him in the eye hoping she sounded
calmer than she felt.

'What do you mean told you
everything?'

'The abuse Stephen. How could
you?'

'I wasn't my fault.' He
blurted out, starting to cry. 'She teases me walking round in those little
skirts looking at me with those big eyes. She wanted me to do it.'

Stephen staggered across the room and grabbed Penny around
the throat.

"I'll show you whose
boss.' He grabbed her breast and started to try to lift her skirt.

'Get off her you bastard.'
screamed Veronica as she lunged for him.

Stephen lashed out and sent
Veronica flying across the room banging her head on the coffee table. She must
have been knocked out because as she came too she saw Stephen on top of Penny
drunkenly trying to get his trousers undone as he held her down. Veronica flew
at him once more and his attention was moved from Penny as he started to hit
Veronica. She was almost unconscious as she suddenly felt the weight of the
blows subside. She pushed him off and saw Penny standing there with a look of
horror on her face. Only then did Veronica notice the knife sticking out of
Stephen's back.

Veronica had dialled 999 and
confessed to her crime. The police only questioned Penny for a short time; they
had believed Veronica’s confession.

As Veronica lay awake on her
prison bunk she knew she could never forgive herself for not protecting her
daughter from that monster and realised she couldn't expect Penny to forgive
her either.